The Greater Baltimore Committee has strengthened its efforts to focus attention on the region's high-technology industry by reorganizing its leadership and hiring a full-time employee.
The GBC is forming the Technology council to address issues that affect high-technology companies.
The business group has already formed a committee to look at the tax and regulatory climate in the state and for ways the General Assemblycould improve that atmosphere to attract companies and nurture start-up concerns.
The Technology Council, which will include members from high-tech companies, universities, federal laboratories, investors and venture capitalists in the Baltimore area, replaced the High Tech Forum, which began three years ago.
"As it grew and became more successful, it became clear that it needed a more permanent structure," said John C. Weiss, chairman of the new council.
L Hans Mueller, chairman of the High Tech Forum, has resigned.
Dr. Mueller is the former chief executive of Nova Pharmaceutical Corp.
In addition, Mr. Weiss said, the GBC hired Kathryn D. Lindquist as executive director of the council. She is the committee's first full-time employee to concentrate on high-technology issues.
Mr. Weiss said that while serving in her new position with the council, Ms. Lindquist would spend about 10 percent of her time on her consulting business, InterCommerce Corp. That business attempts to match foreign companies with businesses in the United States.
The GBC has also formed an informal group of business leaders to advise the new council on strategies and issues it should focus on. That group is headed by Mayo A. Shattuck II, president and chief operating officer of Alex. Brown Inc.